Apple rolls out Siri for cars

Apple caused its usual manic fanfare Monday with the release of a vehicle integration system that allows drivers to access Siri with a tap of the steering wheel. With automakers lining up to install the “Eyes Free” system, Apple may once again reframe how the world uses technology.

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The integration isn’t a new concept. And there’s no guarantee it will actually deter distracted driving. No matter. It’s Apple.

“It was inevitable this would happen,” said Ed Kim, an industry analyst with Asia Pacific. “The way that Siri works is better than what any of the other automaker devices can do. So why not just let the phone do it itself?”

Most of the major automakers, from Mercedes to Chrysler, have committed to Siri integration in an unprecedented 12 months. Such movement indicates the extent to which carmakers are embracing hands-free devices beyond the in-car systems they’re working to create, Kim said. Apple previewed the technology Monday at its annual developers conference in San Francisco.

“I could see a scenario in the future where automakers stop trying to make the car itself have voice activation and let cellphone owners do it,” Kim said.

Some automakers already offer voice command services. Chrysler's Uconnect enables drivers to make calls, get directions or play a certain song by voice command. Ford has a similar voice command service called Sync.

Verizon is also looking to get in on the automobile action with its recent $612 million cash purchase of Hughes Telematics, which offers products such as GPS tracking and emergency services for cars.

But Apple has the Midas touch when it comes to rolling out gadgets the masses want, even if it's not the first player to hit the marketplace. Apple didn't invent the MP3 player, but Steve Jobs's unveiling of the iPod changed the portable music market forever. It also wasn't the first company to manufacture smartphones, but people wait in mile-long lines for the latest iPhone.

Apple looks to mimic that same success with automobiles.

"They captured the cool factor and made it iconic in pretty much everything they've done so far. That's really their genius, among other things," said Jeff Silva, a telecom industry analyst with Medley Global Advisors.

Silva notes that Apple's success in the auto market comes down to how well the Siri integration works. But Apple's track record of shaking up new markets bodes well for both the Cupertino tech company and automakers.

"They've gained such a good reputation from making their devices user friendly that they're bound to be a powerful market competitor just because of their record," Silva said. "It probably works for the automakers too because Apple is such a good name. They can sell their product with a good degree of confidence that there's added value by having an Apple application or product integrated in the car."

Not everyone has fallen into the Apple trance.

Safety advocates applaud efforts to pull the phone away from drivers. But they hesitate to back a system that could prove equally distracting. Eyes Free “would change the playing field, but we are always very concerned about bringing in technology to the vehicle which would distract from the task at hand,” said Kara Macek with the Governors Highway Safety Association.

Public efforts have focused primarily on hand-held devices.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has made texting while driving his administration’s cause célèbre. And 39 states have signed laws banning the action. But some studies suggest hands-free devices pose a similar threat.

Just ask Siri.

This article first appeared on POLITICO Pro at 7:16 p.m. on June 11, 2012.